Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu appeared Monday morning at the Jerusalem District Court on his own initiative in an effort to persuade the judges to reconsider their decision last week to accelerate the trial to five hearing days per week.

It should be noted that there is no precedent for a five-day-a-week schedule, even in terror or organized crime cases. The decision was made in light of the prolonged proceedings and, among other reasons, concern that Presiding Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman will not have enough time to complete the verdict before her scheduled retirement in March 2028.

During the hearing, defense attorneys for the defendants sharply criticized the decision, warning that it would prevent them from providing their clients with an adequate defense.

Netanyahu’s attorney, Amit Hadad, said the case is “massive” and warned that the new schedule would force the defense team to work on Shabbos.

“We’ll be operating on autopilot. This is a miscarriage of justice. There’s no chance this trial will end by March 2028 or even by September 2028. We can’t take part in the pretense of a trial.”

Hadad added that he is not aware of any trial conducted five days a week other than the Eichmann trial.

“If the court wants to shorten the proceedings, the way to do it is not by killing us,” Hadad said. “We won’t be able to do this. I’ve never seen a trial conducted five days a week—except the Eichmann trial. I raised a red flag. I told the prime minister we’re heading for a disaster. You won’t have a defense. I have no way of providing the defense he deserves. That’s the reality. We’re at the absolute limit.”

“We’re human beings. What about Shabbosos? What about Chagim? What about our other clients? We won’t finish by March 2028,” referring again to Judge Friedman-Feldman’s retirement date.

Hadad also said that if the trial is indeed moved to a five-day-a-week schedule, he will ask to withdraw from representing Netanyahu.

According to Hadad, the defense is expected to call hundreds of witnesses.

“There will be hundreds of defense witnesses. I’m at a loss. I don’t know what to do,” he said, adding that for this reason as well, it would be impossible to conclude the trial by March 2028.

Attorney Jacques Chen, who represents Shaul and Iris Elovitch, also strongly opposed the judges’ decision.

“I am informing the court that my team and I cannot handle five days a week,” he said. “These are our personal limitations, and they should factor into your decision. Five days a week is inhuman. It exceeds any realistic capacity.”

Chen added that his client, Shaul Elovitch, “has had his life destroyed,” while Iris Elovitch has endured nine years of “suffering beyond description.” He argued that this, too, should be taken into consideration.

He further said that the very discussion of holding hearings five days a week—and even the possibility of foregoing the court’s summer recess—underscored the unprecedented scale and complexity of the case.

“There is a glaring lack of fairness. My team and I cannot manage five days a week. It’s inhuman. It exceeds any realistic capacity. Perhaps we’re not the most talented or the hardest-working lawyers—I don’t believe that’s true; we’ve proven the opposite over the course of this trial. But even if it were true, these are our personal limitations, and they must be taken into account. Five days a week is simply inhuman. I cannot provide an adequate defense given the enormous scope of the disputed issues, which involve hundreds of items and counts.”

Chen also addressed the public criticism directed at the judges.

“You are being subjected to unrestrained attacks by people who aren’t even in this courtroom yet presume to judge the way you’re conducting this trial. It is a glaring lack of fairness driven by clear political agendas. My firm and I cannot manage five days a week. It’s inhuman. It exceeds any realistic capacity. It violates the Elovitches’ right to a fair trial. I will not be able to provide them with an adequate defense.”

Even prosecutor Yehudit Tirosh agreed with the defense on this matter, saying that a five-day schedule would be close to impossible for the prosecution or defense team, adding that even a four-day-a-week schedule has forced her and her team to violate legal limits on working hours.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)